Find My Way
by Spring-Raindrop
Summary: Fred Weasley survived the Battle of Hogwarts thanks to a girl who gave up her life for him. At her funeral, he meets a kind, gentle muggle girl. Will their friendship develop into something more? Or will their two different worlds pull them apart forever?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a companion piece to my story Angel's Sacrifice. My goal is to have this stand alone, so you don't need to read the other one first to enjoy this one, but you can if you want to. I hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 1

Fred had only been in a church once before in his life. He had been very young, not more than five years old. Bill had just arrived home after his third year at Hogwarts to a house full of sick children. Charlie, Percy, Ron, and Ginny had all contracted a mild form of dragon pox and were at home in bed recovering. Mrs. Weasley had spent the better half of the past two weeks caring for all her children and she desperately needed to go out and get some more food.

She had decided to take the healthy Fred and George with her into town to do her grocery shopping. The twins were itching to go outside for days now and Mrs. Weasley had really wanted to get them away from the other sick children for a bit.

The older of the two boys had been content for the beginning of their journey, but soon grew bored as his mother continued to stop at different stands at the farmers market. She was taking forever and they hadn't even reached the store yet. So, Fred decided to go exploring.

Ottery St. Catchpole was a small town, but there was still much to explore for a five year old child. It didn't take long for Fred to become lost in the market crowd. And his mother was far too busy to notice he was missing.

There was a small church across the street whose stained-glass windows had caught Fred's eye. As he drew closer to the building, he heard music. Interested, the young boy opened the door and walked inside. He wandered down the hallway and up some stairs and down another hallway until he reached the sound of the music. It was a choir of kids Bill's age and older, practicing.

Fred hung by the back of the room for a while, just listening to them. The music was soft and low and really beautiful. It reminded him of his mother singing to him at bedtime.

_His mother._ Fred turned around and hurried out of the room. He hadn't meant to wander so far away from her. She would probably be furious with him. And George would be worried sick.

After wandering the halls for a little, Fred began to get worried. He hadn't remembered taking that many turns to get to the room with the choir. From inside, the building seemed a lot bigger than it had from the outside. A child could very easily get lost.

In fact, as Fred rounded another corner, he was almost certain he was lost. That hallway with the couch hadn't been there before, had it?

Not knowing what else to do, the young boy crawled up on the couch and began to cry. What if his mother never found him? He didn't want to be trapped in this place forever.

Luckily, with his tears came a helpful bit of accidental magic. On the bookshelf next to him was a small wooden angel. She fluttered to life, as if awakened by the boy's tears, and quickly flew off. Soon enough, she was back with Mrs. Weasley and George in tow.

Standing in the lobby of a church on the outskirts of London, brought back these not so pleasant memories to the now twenty year old man. Ever since that day, Fred Weasley had steered clear of churches. And the only reason he was in one now, dressed in a full suit, was because of the small blonde haired girl lying in the coffin.

Fred had been to quite a few funerals in the last few days. It had been a week since the Battle of Hogwarts, and now that people had begun to physically recover, it was time to bury the dead. Remus and Tonks' had been the previous afternoon. Lavender Brown's had been two days before that. His family, along with Harry and Hermione had even gone to Snape's funeral. It turns out he was a good guy after all.

This funeral, however, was so very different from the others. He had hated Snape, and had thought Lavender was annoying. And even though he did miss Lupin and Tonks, he knew they were happy together and that they had willingly given up their lives to protect the wizarding world. But this thirteen year old girl should not have died that night.

It should have been him.

And it would have been too, if Riley hadn't pushed him out of the way right before the wall to the castle exploded. His parents and friends and family would all be at his funeral right now if it hadn't been for this young girl.

George had wanted to come with Fred, but the older twin had just sadly shaken his head. This was something that Fred needed to do alone. And thankfully, like always, George understood.

The girl in the casket wasn't Riley. Sure, it resembled the young Hufflepuff girl. But it wasn't her. It looked so different, like a plastic doll almost. Fred wasn't very spiritual, but he was sure that whatever spark that made Riley so special, seem so alive, was already gone. But where it had gone, he had no idea.

Her family was standing by the open casket, watching as the guests each went up as they felt led and said their goodbyes. Her father was standing tall, his blue eyes staring off at nothing as he comforted his sobbing wife. Another woman was standing beside them. She must be Riley's older sister, Fred thought to himself. She did have similar facial features, darker hair though.

A pang of guilt entered Fred's heart as he looked around the room at everyone there. He spotted a few younger children, possibly cousins of hers. Aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends and neighbors. This girl had been so special to so many people. And he somehow felt it was his fault she was gone.

Blinking back a wave of tears, Fred walked up to the casket. It had taken him a good twenty minutes to finally work up the nerve. His hands were shaking and his heart was racing as he approached her. When had he become such a coward? He was a Gryffindor, damn it!

It was even worse up close, but he made himself stay. He wouldn't ever have another chance. Gently, Fred reached out his hand and brushed it over her cheek.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, tears sliding down his face. His throat began to constrict as he fought back the tears. "I never wanted this."

There was so much more Fred wanted to say, but his emotions had gotten the best of him, and it was all he could do to place one final kiss on her forehead and head toward the nave where the service would take place.

A strong hand on his arm stopped him. Fred turned and found himself face to face with Riley's father.

"What's your name, son?" the man asked curiously.

"Fred. Fred Weasley."

"I don't believe I've ever met you before. Did you know Riley well?"

Fred cleared his throat and wiped away a stray tear. "I uh, knew her in school. I was in my last year when she was in her first. She was a very special girl. My brother and I…well, she was like a younger sister to us in a way."

The older man's eyes began to shine with hidden emotion. "Thank you, son, for looking out for her."

Fred felt a pang in his chest. He hadn't looked out for her. If he had, Riley would still be here. All the young man could do was nod his head and walk away into the nave. How do you tell a father that it's your fault his little girl isn't breathing anymore – isn't living anymore? Even Fred, being the Gryffindor he was, didn't have that much courage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 2

"Are you alone?"

Fred looked up from his seat and found himself face to face with a girl. She looked to be a little bit younger than himself, with soft green eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and freckles adorning her small nose.

"Uh," he said, his voice still a little hoarse from crying. "Yes. I am."

She smiled softly at him. "Do you want me to join you?"

"Sure." Fred scooted over in his seat to make room for the girl. She was wearing a short black dress with several little white bows that came to a little above her knees. Her hair was braided back in a long French braid that reached all the way half-way down her back. The only other people Fred had ever seen with hair that long were the Patil twins, and that was because they never cut it.

"I'm Fred," the boy said, sticking his hand out for her to shake.

The girl smiled. "Sophie."

Fred grinned, despite himself. He really liked that name. It was one he hadn't heard before.

"So," Sophie began, her demeanor changing. "How do you…uh, know Riley."

Fred swallowed. "I…uh knew her through school."

Sophie's eyebrows raised. "Really? Wasn't Riley a lot younger than you?"

Fred shrugged. "Not that much younger. Only seven years. Our school took eleven year olds to eighteen year olds. So she was just starting during my last year."

"Oh," the girl said excitedly. "You went to the same boarding school that she did? That's so cool. I've never met anyone else that went there."

Fred smiled. He would have to be careful. He had forgotten that the majority of these people could be muggles. Come to think of it, he didn't even know if Riley was muggleborn or not. He hardly knew anything about her.

"My whole family goes there…well, went there. Most of us have graduated. My younger sister is the only one left."

Sophie smiled. "Do you have a large family?"

Fred chuckled. Large was an understatement. "I have five brothers and a sister. And more cousins then I could ever care to count."

His heart skipped a beat as her eyes lit up. "Wow. I've always wanted to be a part of a big family. My parents decided to only have me. I come from a long line of only children. No cousins either."

"Ah," the boy sighed, his eyes darkening. "A big family is a blessing and a curse I suppose."

Sophie frowned. "A curse? How so?"

Fred sighed as images from the battle flashed through his mind. The dead bodies in the Great Hall, the families torn apart. It had been a miracle his family had escaped unscathed. Riley had been his miracle.

"There's a greater chance to lose someone you love."

The girl gasped involuntarily. "Oh Fred," she breathed, her eyes swimming. "Did someone from your family get hurt when that gang attacked your school?"

So that was what the story had been. Some kind of crazy gang had attacked the school and caused some fatalities. It was a major stretch of the truth, but the only thing the ministry could tell the many muggle families that had been affected. They would never really understand.

"No, we were lucky," Fred explained. "But there were some close calls." His mind flashed back to Harry, lying limp in Hagrid's arms. And Bellatrix's spell nearly hitting Ginny. The wall blasting apart, almost killing him. "Really close ones."

The red haired boy looked up startled as he felt a soft hand on his. For the first time, he noticed that his whole arm was shaking. Sighing, Fred attempted to calm himself down. As Sophie intertwined her fingers with his and the processional music started to play, the boy finally began to relax.

The service was a short one, filled with tears and stories and a song every once in a while. Before he knew it, Fred was following the rest of the crowd up the hill to the burial site.

"How do you know Riley?" Fred asked curiously.

Sophie smiled sadly. "I'm her sister's best friend. I knew Riley since she was a little baby."

Fred frowned. He hated how people used the past tense in reference to Riley. He knew that she was gone, but that didn't mean she wasn't still there with them, right? He sighed. Why couldn't magic fix this?

"Why aren't you up there standing with her?"

The girl's face fell. "Megan…doesn't deal well with emotional trauma. She likes to handle things herself – show everyone else that she's strong. My presence would only make her more upset."

Fred nodded in understanding. He knew several people like that. Angelina was one of them. His brother, Charlie, was another.

"Well, I appreciate your presence." And he did. Fred doubted he would have been able to get through this afternoon without her.

She beamed at him and Fred began to blush. Curse his family for having such light skin. The two young adults stood next to each other in silence as they watched Riley's casket sink into the ground. Fred half expected the girl to pop up beside him, grinning at how silly they had all been. But there was no Riley in sight.

Finally, it was over. They could all go home. As he made his way down to the parking lot, Fred couldn't help but feel a little lost. He had hoped that this funeral would give him some closure – stop the nightmares that plagued him every night. But he still felt this something nagging at him, telling him that he hadn't done enough. But what else could he do?

Looking over, Fred saw that Sophie was busy digging around in her purse. "There we go," she muttered and pulled out her car keys, along with a pen and a scrap of paper.

"Here's my phone number," she explained as she handed him the paper with some numbers scrawled across it. "You should call me sometime."

"Yeah, definitely," was all Fred could say. Did his house even have a fellytone? He vaguely remembered Ron using it once to call Harry many years ago.

"Cool." She was blushing now. "I work at the pet shop on the west side of London during the week, 9 to 5. It's about a fifteen minute drive from here, ten from my house. But I'm free weekends. And during the evening."

Fred smiled. "I will definitely call you."

Sophie smiled, and then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Fred was surprised by the gesture, but he hugged her back all the same.

"By Fred," the girl said as she unlocked the door to her car. "It was very nice meeting you."

Fred smiled. "Nice meeting you too. I hope I see you again soon."

He watched and waved as she backed out of the spot and drove off. Then, when she was out of sight, the young wizard headed down the street, turned into a deserted ally, and apperated home.

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><p>AN: Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'd really appreciate some reviews to let me know how I'm doing. Please and thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I'm just not awesome enough to own Harry Potter. All the credit goes to Jo Rowling.

Chapter 3

How did muggles do it? Fred had been sitting by the fellytone by the door to his flat for at least an hour, trying to figure out how to work it. He had punched in the numbers that Sophie had given him, but nothing had happened. He had picked up the removable thing and examined that for at least fifteen minutes, but there didn't seem to be any buttons to press there. The boy had even flipped the thing upside down, looking for some sort of directions. Nothing.

Eventually, he had given up. He would never be able to figure it out. He needed Hermione's help. She would know how to work it. Unfortunately, Ronnikins had taken her out on a date once the shop had closed up for the night (Ron was working for Fred and George over the summer for some extra pocket money), so he had to wait until the two of them were done.

Normally, Fred would have just apperated to their side, interrupted the date, and asked her to come help him. But, unfortunately, Ron had taken her to a place in London, with a bunch of muggles. So, Fred was resigned to waiting.

Finally, he heard a loud crack downstairs. Fred grabbed his wand, a habit that had been ingrained during the war, and raced down the stairs.

"Hermione!" he shouted as he entered the main floor where the store was. Hermione and Ron were standing in the middle, both dressed quite nicely.

"What is it Fred?" she asked patiently.

"I need you to come upstairs and teach me how to use my fellytone."

The girl laughed. "It's called a telephone, Fred. And sure, show me where it is."

Fred led her upstairs with Ron following behind them. The twin could tell his younger brother was irritated with him, but there was really nothing else he could do. If anyone could figure out this contraption, it was Hermione.

"Alright," the girl began, her entire demeanor changing. She really would make an excellent teacher. "First, pick up the receiver. And then punch in the string of numbers you want to call. If you did it right it should start ringing."

"But I tried that already," the boy protested. Hermione motioned for him to hand her the number, and he complied. She quickly typed it in, and then frowned.

"Strange," she muttered. Glancing down at the ground, the girl began to laugh. Fred watched, a puzzled expression on his face as she squatted down and pulled out her wand.

"Fred," she said, amusement in her voice, "you have to plug the phone in for it to work."

"Plug it in?" what was she talking about? "Plug it into what?"

Hermione muttered some spells and a little white box appeared on his wall. "You needed an outlet. Without electricity, the phone cant work." She then took the black cord and plugged it into the outlet. "There," she said satisfied. "Try typing in the numbers now.

Fred did as she said and scowled as the phone started ringing. "Thanks Hermione," he said and waved the two of them out. "You're the best."

She smiled at him and took Ron's hand. Together, the two of them descended the stairs and left Fred alone in his room. George had gone out with Angelina on what Fred was convinced was a date. His twin wouldn't admit to it though.

"Hello?" came a deep voice from the inside of the…telephone. How had the muggle gotten inside anyway? Wouldn't they need magic for that?

"Hi, is Sophie there?"

"Hang on a minute."

Fred waited patiently as he heard the man call for Sophie. Moments later he heard her voice coming from the phone.

"Hello?" she asked curiously.

"Hey," Fred began, his heartbeat increasing slightly. "It's Fred."

"Oh, Fred!" she exclaimed, audibly excited. "Hi! How are you?"

"Good," he responded. "I'm great. Had a busy day at work, but we made a bunch of sales, so I'm happy."

"Oh, do you work at a store too?"

Fred nodded, then remembered that she wasn't able to see him, only hear him. "Yes. My twin and I own a joke shop."

"You own it?" he could hear her surprise, and what sounded like she was impressed. "That's amazing. How did you manage that? You've only been out of school for…how long?"

Fred grinned. "Two years. George and I started planning and inventing products back when we were fifteen. We bought the shop and fixed it up right after we left school at the end of our seventh year."

"Left school?" He heard her ask.

The boy smiled. "Yeah. One of our professors was psychotic. She had the m-government's support and she basically took over the entire school. It was awful. So, George and I pulled some last minute pranks and hightailed it out of there."

"Without graduating?"

"We didn't need to," Fred explained. "We already had our business up and running. The two of us were making more money in one month than our parents did in an entire year."

"Wow. That's so great. I can tell you really love your job."

Fred frowned. "Don't you like yours?"

"It's alright," the girl responded. "I like working with the animals and taking care of them, but the rest of the work is really boring."

"Do you think it would be a little less boring if I stopped by at some point tomorrow?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah," the girl breathed, obviously a little flustered. Fred grinned. He liked hearing her like that. "Uh, yeah, that'd be great. Want me to give you directions?"

Fred pulled out a pen and pad of paper from his desk and quickly began to write down where the shop was located. He was surprised to find out he recognized the location. It wasn't very far from Ottery St. Catchpole. He had passed it a few times in the years the Weasley family had taken muggle transportation to Kings Cross station.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Sophie asked once he was done.

"You will. I'll stop by sometime after lunch."

"Do you," she began hesitantly, "do you want to maybe eat lunch with me? I get off from 12 to 12:45."

"Yeah," Fred agreed. "I'd love to. See you at noon."

"Ok, bye Fred."

"Bye Sophie."

Fred hung up the phone smiling. He would have to talk to Alison, the girl they had hired a few months ago to help around the store, about covering his shift. She really was a gem – always keeping things clean and organized, and she had a really keen eye for troublemakers. Fred knew she would say yes. She loved helping out in the joke shop.

Fred glanced over at the clock mounted on the wall. George should be back soon.

Sure enough, with a loud crack, his twin appeared in the room. "How'd it go?" Fred asked, grinning at the blush on his brother's face.

"Great," George said eagerly. "I think I'm going to spend the day with her Saturday. As long as that's alright with you."

Fred nodded. "Of course. I'll find something to do. Maybe work on those chocolates that make you levitate some more."

"Good idea," George said as he removed his shoes and began to get ready for bed. "I still think the problem lies with the porcupine needles. They aren't mixing in right."

Fred nodded as he too began to get ready for bed. "Maybe if I try coating them with something."

"It's worth a try."

The two boys crawled into their respective beds (twin mattresses they had pushed together) and each turned out their light.

Fred lay away for a while, his mind thinking about the project he and George had been working on for the past few months. Those chocolates were really giving them some problems. They had almost blown up their studio several times already. Alison kept teasing them about how many times she had been required to clean it.

Every once in a while, Fred's mind would drift back to the funeral and Sophie. She was a nice girl, he decided. Someone he would enjoy spending time with. Maybe the two of them could be friends. That would be nice. _Yes_, he thought as he drifted off into sleep, _that would be really nice_.

* * *

><p>AN: Ok Chapter 3 is now up, although I've been hard at work and have all the way through chapter 5 written. I'd really like to see some reviews please, if you guys don't mind. They don't have to be long, or good. I appreciate constructive criticism as well. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 4

At around 11:30 in the morning, just as Fred was about to head out and go meet Sophie, Harry entered the store with a small baby boy on his arm.

"Hey Fred, George," the boy greeted. "Looks like it's a slow day."

"Yup," George responded as he continued restacking some of the items behind the counter. Ron was off in the back room, taking inventory, and Alison was on the second floor reorganizing some shelves that a few hooligans had knocked over. "Some days are like that."

"I was wondering," Harry began. "Ron and I have a meeting with someone at the ministry in about an hour. It has to do with our futures as aurors. And Andromeda is sick with the stomach flu, so she wanted Teddy out of the house. Normally, I would leave him with your mom, but she, Hermione, Ginny, and Fleur are having some sort of women bonding day or something. Could one of you watch him for me?"

Fred smiled and held out his hands, taking the baby from the relieved boy's arms. Sure, he hadn't been planning on taking a baby with him, but girls loved babies. It couldn't hurt to have Teddy with him.

"Right you are Harry. I will take good care of little Ted here. Ron's in the storeroom if you want to go get him."

Harry nodded his head and headed towards the back room, dropping Teddy's baby bag by the counter. He had been in the shop enough times to know where most things were. Fred looked down at Teddy and smiled as the boy curled his tiny fingers around the collar of his shirt. His smile faded as the young boy's hair turned from light brown to electric blue.

"That's going to be an issue," George remarked as Fred groaned. Fred had told his brother all about Sophie and the funeral that morning, and George was totally on board. "His hair's a dead giveaway that something's not right."

"I know," he sighed, trying to think of something that might help the situation. "Do you know any spells that might hide it?"

George shook his head. "None that I can think of."

"Whatcha guys talking about?" a voice asked. Fred looked up to see Alison standing there. She was wearing a flowery shirt and khakis and her brown hair had been pulled up into a bun.

"I'm going shopping in a little bit," Fred explained without hesitation. "And I need a way to make Teddy not change his hair. Muggles might see."

Allison frowned for a moment, then disappeared into another section of the store. Moments later she came back with a blue winter hat.

"How is a spell deflecting hat going to help us?" Fred asked.

Allison smiled, took out her wand and muttered a few words. In an instant, the hat shrunk down to the right size for the one month old. "Here," she said, carefully placing the hat over Teddy's head. "Now no one can see the hair. It's also charmed so he won't get too hot. So you should be good to go."

Fred beamed at her. "Thanks Al, you're brilliant."

The girl blushed and returned to work. With George's help, Fred fastened the baby carrier to his chest and slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Wish me luck," he said at the same moment George said "Good luck." Both twins laughed and waved to each other as Fred walked out the door.

Originally, Fred was going to apparate to an area near the pet shop, but that was impossible with Teddy strapped to his chest. So many bad things could happen to a baby during apparation. So, he stuck out his wand and the Knight Bus appeared before him.

As usual, the ride was extremely bumpy, and there were several times that Fred was afraid all the movement would upset Teddy. But the little boy was calm and quiet, even as the bus lurched to a stop and Fred clambered out on wobbly legs.

"Alright, Ted," he said. "You ready for this?" Fred checked his watch and saw to his delight that it was three minutes to twelve. Perfect timing.

Sophie was standing at the front counter when Fred walked in. As she finished up with a customer, she turned to look over at him, smiled, and then started freaking out.

"Ohmygosh!" she gushed as she practically raced around the counter and over to a spot next to him. Fred smiled as she stuck out her finger to stroke Teddy's small hand that was still clenched around his shirt collar. "He's so cute! What's his name?"

"Ted," Fred explained. "But the whole family calls him Teddy."

Sophie smiled and looked up at Fred. "Ted and Fred." The ginger boy laughed. "I thought you said all your brothers had graduated already."

"They have," the boy explained as Teddy reached out and tried to grab onto Sophie's hand. "Teddy's not my brother. He's my sister's boyfriend's godson."

The blonde haired girl looked up confused. Then busted up laughing. "I'm sorry," she said once she calmed down. "It's just, that sounded so strange."

Fred laughed too. "Yeah. It seems complicated, but it's really not." His face fell as he continued the story. "Teddy's parents died last week. His grandmother is his guardian now, but she's sick and wanted him out of the house. And Harry had a job interview with Ron, my younger brother. So I volunteered to watch him."

"That was sweet of you," Sophie murmured, looking down at the baby's hand curled around her pinkie. Then, excitedly, she looked back up at Fred. "Do you think I could hold him?"

The boy nodded and picked up the young boy and handed him over to the girl before him. She laid his head down in the crook of her neck and placed her remaining hand gently on his back. "He's so precious," she murmured.

"Where do you want to eat lunch?" Fred asked as she began rocking the baby back and forth.

"Um, there's a sandwich shop down the street from here that I really like. Is that ok?"

Fred nodded, thankful that he had thought to grab some muggle money from Gringotts the day before. He didn't want to tip her off that anything was wrong with him. "Of course. Wherever you would like to go is ok with me."

Sophie blushed and headed for the door. Fred opened it for her and followed her out, somehow managing to remove the carrier from his chest.

"Did you have a good morning?" Fred asked curiously as Sophie led the way to their destination.

"Oh yes," she responded, slowing down so Fred could catch up with her. "We had some new kittens come in today, so I got to play with them for a bit. And I was pretty busy for a few hours with the register. So that was nice."

"We were having a pretty slow day at the shop this morning," Fred remarked. "So there was no problem with me leaving."

"Won't George miss you?" the girl asked curiously. Fred was impressed. She had remembered George's name.

"Oh, no. He'll be fine. Besides, he left me alone last night to go spend time with a friend from school. It's only fair that I return the favor."

Sophie smiled. "Did you have a lot of friends at school?"

Fred nodded. "I suppose so. George has been my best friend my entire life. But the two of us had some other friends too. A bloke named Lee, and then there was Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. The three of them were on our…school team."

"Oh," her eyes lit up, "You were on the soccer team?"

Soccer. That's what the muggle quidditch game was called. "Yeah. George was too. And the three girls."

"You had a coed team?"

Fred inwardly winced. He was going to end up giving himself away if he didn't learn more about muggle culture. Why hadn't he taken muggle studies at Hogwarts? "Yeah. We did things a bit differently at my school."

"Oh, that's right. You went to a boarding school." She paused. "Who did you play anyway? Were there other schools nearby?"

Thinking quickly, Fred decided to try the truth, or part of it. "Our school was split up into four different groups. We called them houses. And each of the houses had a team."

"That's really neat." They had reached the sandwich place. Fred opened the door for her and Teddy and followed her inside.

"Any idea what you want?" Sophie asked, shifting Teddy from one side to the other.

"Um," Fred began, glancing over the menu. "I was thinking an egg salad sandwich. You?"

Sophie smiled at him. "I was going to get the same thing. And a bottle of water."

Fred grinned. "Then we'll be twins."

The younger girl laughed and Fred approached the counter to order. The cashier was a cute red haired girl with deep blue eyes, about as many freckles as Fred, and a small nose ring in the shape of a butterfly.

"Hey there," the girl said cheerily. "What can I get for you?"

"We'd like two egg salad sandwiches and two bottles of water, please," Fred requested as he pulled the strange bills from his pocket. He hoped he didn't look too foolish trying to figure them out.

"Oh Fred," Sophie began, reaching into her pocket. "You don't have to pay for me."

"It's no trouble, really."

The red haired girl raised her eyebrows. "Is that your baby?" Fred frowned at the clear judgment in her voice.

"No," Sophie bristled, picking up on what Fred had. "We're watching him for a family friend."

"Oh," was all the girl said. "Your total is $17.94."

Fred breathed a sigh of relief. One of the bills he held in his hand had a twenty marked on it. That would surely work. Wouldn't it? He handed over the bill and watched as the girl counted out his change. Muggle money was so strange.

"Hey," the cashier said as he began to walk away. Fred turned around to face her again. "I didn't catch your name."

"Fred," he answered.

She smiled. "Lacey. I'll be right over with your food. Sit wherever you'd like."

"Thank you," he said, flashing her a grin. She winked at him and retreated back into the kitchen.

Fred then turned to Sophie. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Doesn't matter," she said, averting his gaze. Fred frowned. Was something wrong?

"Do you want me to take Teddy again? He can get kind of heavy."

Sophie just nodded her head and handed the boy over. Teddy began to squirm and cry out in protest. "Shh," he soothed, bouncing the young child back and forth. "It's ok Teddy. You're fine."

"Maybe he's hungry," Sophie offered as she reached for the bag by Fred's feet. After a bit of rummaging around, she pulled out a bottle and handed it to Fred. "That bag must be a really good insulator. The bottle's still warm."

"Yeah," was all Fred said as he stuck the bottle in Teddy's mouth. The baby instantly began to suck on it. Fred really hoped there wouldn't be any more slip ups on his part today. It was exhausting trying to remember what he could and couldn't say.

Moments later, Lacey showed up with their meal. "You're so good with him," she remarked, flashing Fred a smile.

The ginger haired boy grinned. "Thanks. I've watched him a few times before. He's a really well behaved little tyke."

"I can see that," the girl said smiling. "Alright, I should get back to work." She reached into her pocket and handed Fred a slip of paper. "Here's my number. You should call me."

Fred grinned. "Do you have pre-made pieces of paper for every guy you meet?" he teased.

She smirked. "Only the cute ones." And with that statement, she gave him one last wink and disappeared behind the counter. Fred chuckled to himself and turned back to Sophie. The girl was studying her sandwich very intently, but she hadn't taken a bite of it yet.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" he asked curiously. Maybe she wasn't feeling very well.

"I'm not feeling too well," she said seconds later. Wow, was he good at reading people or what? "I think I'm gonna go back to the shop and let my manager know."

Fred's face fell. "But you didn't even eat anything."

"I know," the girl said quietly. "I'm sorry. But I don't think I can anymore." She stood up and leaned down to kiss Teddy on the forehead. "I'll see you around Fred." She took out another muggle bill and put it on the table in front of him before walking out the door, her food sitting untouched on the table.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys, I'm a little bummed out right now. So far, I've only gotten one review, and I know there's more than one person reading this. Could I have just a few more, pretty please? Reviews literally make my day. I would love you all forever. Thanks! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 5

"Hello?"

"Oh," Fred said, surprised to hear the strange voice on the other side of the line. This had been the third time that he had tried to reach Sophie in the last week. The first time he had gotten her mother, who had told him that she had just left to go on a walk and she would call back later. She never had. The second time he had gotten her father again. He had said that she had turned in to bed early and to call back at another time. This voice was unfamiliar to him though; it was a girl, but wasn't Sophie or her mother. "Hi. I'm looking for Sophie? Is she there?"

"Whom may I ask is calling?" the girl on the other line asked.

"Fred. Tell her it's important."

"Ok. I'll go get her." Fred waited patiently as he heard footsteps leading away from the phone. Moments later he heard two voices talking to each other. He could tell they were both female, but he couldn't tell what they were saying.

"Hey." The voice was back. "Sorry. Sophie can't come to the phone right now. She told me to tell you that she's in the shower and she'll call you back later, which she probably won't seeing as she's actually sitting on the couch watching TV."

"Natalie," Fred heard a voice hiss from inside the phone.

"What?" the unknown girl asked. "It's the truth." She turned her attention back to him. "Whatever you did, I suggest you think of something to make it up to her. She doesn't normally get this upset."

"But I don't know what I did – " Fred protested, but it was too late. Natalie had already hung up.

"Damn it!" he hissed as he slammed the phone down and ran his hands through his hair. "What happened?"

There was only one thing he could think of to do. He needed a woman's advice. So, turning on the spot, Fred apperated to The Burrow.

Both his parents were seated at the table, along with Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Ron. When his mother saw him, she leapt up and raced over to him, enveloping him in a giant bear hug.

"Mum," he wheezed, a little short for air. "Gerrof."

"Fred dear," she said happily. "You didn't tell us you were coming over for dinner."

He groaned. He hadn't meant to come over while they were eating dinner. Now he would be stuck there for hours. Fred loved his mum, and he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he really just wanted to fix things with Sophie.

"I wasn't planning on staying for dinner," he muttered. "I didn't realize what time it was, is all."

"Did you need something?" Ginny asked and Fred sent her a silent thank you. His younger sister had just saved him from certain doom; that he was sure of.

"Yeah," he said, walking over to the table. "What sort of things can a guy do to make a girl mad?"

Ginny snorted into her glass that she had just been drinking from. Fred blushed as he saw Hermione cover her mouth trying not to laugh as well.

"Where do I start?" Ginny teased and the older boy groaned. "Insulting her, forgetting something important, not taking her seriously, ignoring her, paying attention to another girl, being stubborn, spending significantly more time with his friends than with her. Is that enough?"

Fred slid into the chair across the table from her. "Bloody hell," he muttered. This didn't look good. How was he supposed to tell what it had been that he did?

"What did you do?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," he groaned. Things were going great, and then all of a sudden, _this_. "We were getting along fine. And then we went out to lunch and she started to feel sick."

"Did she say she was feeling sick?" Ginny inquired. Mrs. Weasley looked like she wanted to add something to the conversation, but her husband shot her a look, silently pleading her not to get involved.

"Yeah," Fred answered immediately, then stopped to think about it. "Wait. What she said was 'she wasn't feeling well'. But that's the same thing, right?"

"Not exactly…" Hermione began. She glanced over at Ginny again and then looked back at Fred. "That's basically girl code for I'm upset and I want you to do something about it."

"Yeah," Ginny put in. "Did you do anything to upset her beforehand that would make her want to leave to get away from you?"

Fred paled. Surely he couldn't have been that horrible of company, could he? "I don't know. The cashier asked her if Teddy was her kid. She was holding him at the time, you see. And she seemed upset about that. The girl's tone _was_ rather rude, come to think of it."

Ginny and Hermione glanced at each other and smiled. Fred scowled. He wished they would just tell him what was wrong so he could go fix it. Why did girls have to be so complicated anyway?

"Was the cashier pretty?" Hermione finally asked.

Fred frowned. "I suppose. Yeah, why?"

Ginny laughed. "She's jealous, Fred. Your girl is jealous."

Fred blushed at the thought of Sophie being 'his girl'. They were only friends. He hadn't thought about pursuing anything more than that with her. But if his sister was right, did that mean she liked him? _Like,_ liked him? Was it even possible? And did he like her back? The fuzzy feeling in his stomach made him think that maybe he did.

"Jealous? Of what? We're only friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean she can't like you. I had a crush on Ron for over a year before we finally became a couple. And believe me, there was plenty of jealousy." She looked pointedly at Ron and he blushed profusely.

Fred sighed. He really needed to talk to Sophie. But she didn't want to see him. "What do I do?" he asked his sister and her best friend.

Hermione smiled. "Go talk to her, Fred. I'm sure she wants to see you."

The boy smiled. He sure hoped so. Getting up from the table, he said one last quick goodbye before disapparating. Once he was gone, Mrs. Weasley turned to her only daughter.

"Ginny, dear. Did what I think just happen, happen?"

Ginny laughed. "Yes Mum, Fred came to us for advice on a girl. I think he's smitten."

"Now, dear," Mr. Weasley began. "Please don't get ahead of yourself. If Fred really likes this girl, let him bring her to us on his own."

"Oh, alright," Mrs. Weasley huffed. However, despite her reluctance to listen to her husband's advice, there was a new spring in her step and twinkle in her eye as she began to set the food out on the table.

* * *

><p>Fred appeared back in his room and went straight for the phone. He had no idea where Sophie lived, and he prayed that Natalie would help him out.<p>

"Hello?" It was her.

"Hey, Natalie. It's Fred again."

A pause. "So are you coming over here or not?" she whispered. Sophie must be nearby.

"I am. I want to," he amended. "But I don't know where she lives."

"Ok," Natalie began, her voice soft and low. Fred quickly pulled out a quill, ink, and some parchment.

"She lives at 301 Somers Crest. A two minute walk from Hyde Park Square. And she likes snapdragons." With a click, the phone shut off and Fred was left alone once more with only an address and a helpful hint to guide him. He decided to tackle the snapdragons first. They couldn't be too hard to transfigure, could they. Now, what did he remember about transfiguration?

It was easier to transfigure like objects. So, if he could find other flowers, they would transform much easier than if he were to use another object, like a shoe or a cup. So, with his wand stowed in his pocket, Fred made his way out the door and into Diagon Alley.

There was a small floral shop a block or so away. He had been there a few times in the two years that he and George has resided above the joke shop. Mostly to pick up gifts for his mother or sister. And once to get the _giant_ order of flowers for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Taking a deep breath, Fred stepped inside.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley!" the owner exclaimed. He was an elderly gentleman that had been in Diagon Alley for as long as Fred could remember. "What can I do for you?"

"Hello Mr. Hammilton," Fred greeted. "I need a flower that I can transfigure into a snapdragon."

The old man smiled. "Trying to impress a lady friend?" he asked as he began searching through his stores in the back room. Snapdragons must not be very common.

"More like attempting to apologize." He really hoped Sophie would talk to him and let him explain. He couldn't explain why, but the idea of that girl upset, for any reason, didn't settle well with Fred.

"Ah," the man said, emerging with a collection of yellow, red, and white flowers. "Here you go. Honest to god snapdragons, free of charge."

Fred stood there flabbergasted. "I can't accept –"

"Don't be ridiculous," the man said, smiling. "I'm sure she's a very special girl if a man such as yourself is so dedicated to her. It's no problem at all. Now, go. Make things right with her."

Fred grinned, a hint of red coloring his cheeks. He was unused to the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. It was a nice feeling, but at the same time, it made him extremely nervous. "Thank you," he said before turning on the spot and vanishing for the third time that night.

He appeared with a loud crack in the middle of the street. Probably not the best idea he had ever had, but there wasn't much he could do about it. None of the muggles had been outside as it was nearly 10 o'clock, so he was safe.

Thankfully, the full moon was shining brightly in the cloudless sky, so Fred easily found his way to the correct house. Taking a deep breath he rang the doorbell.

A dark skinned girl answered the door. She smiled at him and ushered him in. "You move quickly," she remarked as she signaled him to follow her through the living room and over to what appeared to be the basement door. "Nice job with the flowers, by the way. She's downstairs. I'll give you guys some time to talk. Just don't forget about me."

Fred smiled and began making his way down the stairs. He made it halfway before he saw Sophie. She was facing away from him, sitting down on a comfortable looking couch, watching some show on what Fred thought was a television.

"Who was at the door Natalie?" she asked without turning around.

Fred swallowed nervously. He took a deep breath in an attempt to stop his body from shaking so much. "A guy that's really, _really_ sorry about the way he acted."

Sophie spun around, sock evident on her face. "Fred," she breathed, slowly standing up. The red-haired boy finished descending the stairs and held out the flowers. She took them with a soft smile on her face.

"Snapdragons?" she asked." Those are my favorites. How did you -?" she broke off and smiled. "Natalie told you, didn't she?"

Fred nodded. "I didn't have any other choice. You wouldn't talk to me. And I had to tell you that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like such a git the other day."

Sophie's head fell, and she began to scuff her feet on the tan carpet. "It's not your fault," she finally said. "I was being stupid. You've been out of school for two years, own your own store, and I'm not even a senior in high school yet. It was stupid of me to think you would be interested in me."

So she really did like him. Ginny and Hermione had been right. How did he miss it? Usually he was so good about picking up on things like that. But she thought he wasn't interested because she was a few years younger than him. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Are you crazy?" Fred asked, trying to lighten the mood. She looked up at him confused. "Of course I'm interested in you. Do you think I would have come all the way out here, carrying a bunch of flowers for the whole world to see, if I wasn't?"

Sophie laughed, her eyes lighting up. "You really mean that?"

Fred nodded. "I do. And if you accept my apology, I would love to take you on a date this Saturday."

She grinned, a slight blush appearing on her face. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Great," Fred said, smiling. He was sure he looked like an idiot, but at that point in time, he honestly didn't care. "I should get going, but I promise to call you tomorrow."

"Ok," she said. "I'll walk you outside."

Fred turned around and began to climb the stairs with Sophie right behind him. They passed Natalie along the way, busy making herself a bowl of ice cream in the kitchen. Fred gave her a quick wave, which she returned, before heading outside. Once on the front porch, Fred turned and gave her a quick hug before making his way down the street.

A few moments later, Fred stopped and turned around. He had this odd feeling in his gut that he was being watched. But there was nothing around. Shrugging, Fred found a group of trash cans a bit farther away to duck behind and he apparated home.

* * *

><p>The wolf smiled to himself. Tracking the red-haired boy had been difficult – he had kept disappearing from his home, only to reappear a few minutes later - but the wolf had finally caught up with him, just as he was leaving the strange house that he had needed directions to. The wolf had been ready to attack at that moment, but seeing the girl had stopped him. Ginger had a mate? That could possibly change things.<p>

Yes, he would have to go for someone else tonight until he could figure out how to make this new development work out to his advantage.

Suddenly, the boy, who was now only a few feet away from the bush the wolf was hiding in, began to look around. The wolf froze, his eyes widening slightly. Things would not end well if he was spotted – for either of them.

Luckily for him and the boy, Ginger turned around and continued to walk down the street. Moments later, the wolf heard the distinctive pop of an apparating wizard.

He remained motionless for a few more moments, and then retreated back towards the wooded area behind the houses in the neighborhood. Then, standing up on his two hind legs, almost like a man, the wolf gave a long, low howl.

* * *

><p>AN: First off, I want to say thanks to all of those wonderful reviews. It means so much to me. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story. And for those who are wanting a bit more action, be patient. It's coming soon. Keep up the reviews please! And thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 6

"Fred, WAKE UP!"

Fred jolted away when a stream of cold water hit his face. "Alright!" he shouted. "I'm up!" Once he had gotten out of bed, dried himself off and changed into some non-pajama clothes, he turned to his twin. "What's the hurry?"

"Emergency family meeting at Mum's house. We have to get there as soon as possible."

Fred frowned. What could be this important? They hadn't ever had an emergency family meeting before, had they? It must be something big, whatever it was.

"Right. Breakfast?" He had to ask. His stomach was growling like crazy.

"Mum fire-called us," George explained. "She has food waiting on the table for us right now."

Fred grinned. "Then what are we waiting for?" With another smile, the two brothers turned on the spot and instantly appeared in their mother's living room.

He didn't know what he had been expecting, but it sure wasn't this. More than just his family was there – it looked as though the whole Order had shown up. Or what was left of them: McGonagall, Kingsley, Aberforth, Hagrid. Everyone was either sitting at the kitchen table or standing beside it. The whole room was silent. And the silence was what unnerved Fred the most.

"What's going on?" George asked as he approached the group and stood beside Bill. Their dad was sitting at the head of the table with a mug of tea and the Daily Prophet. Had something happened? Fred took a quick look around the room, but everyone was here. Harry was seated with Ginny at the end of the table by him, and Hermione and Ron were standing behind Fred's dad. So if no one was hurt, what why were they all here?

"Now that we're all here," Mr. Weasley began, "we can proceed. Boys," he said, turning to Fred, George and Bill. "I don't know if you had a chance to look at the Prophet today, but here's what happened."

Mr. Weasley launched into a story about how, earlier that morning, some of the aurors had been reading the muggle newspaper, looking for any signs of Death Eater action, and had come across a story about an animal attack in a small muggle neighborhood. A woman in her early thirties had been mauled so severely that she had died by the time paramedics got there.

"Of course," Mr. Weasley finished, "we're almost sure, beyond a doubt that this was a werewolf attack."

Fred paled. A werewolf attack? "Where did you say they found the woman's body?" he asked shakily. George glanced over at him, but said nothing.

"A neighborhood called Maple Crest. It's on the western edge of London."

All Fred could do was nod to show he understood. If he was right, it wasn't far from where Sophie lived. He wanted to go to her right now, to make sure she was ok, but he knew that wasn't possible. He had to stay here and help everyone figure out what to do. And then he had to go back and mind the shop. He would see her tomorrow. The danger had passed after all; there was only one full moon in a month.

"Was it Greybeck?" Ron asked.

"Couldn't be," Hermione answered instantly. "He went to Azkaban. And we'd have heard if he had broken out already."

"But I thought Greybeck was the only one who attacked people for the fun of it," Ginny stated.

"We don't know that it was just for fun," Kingsley pointed out. "The wolf probably took over and attacked that woman because she was too close. There may not have been any malicious intent behind the attack at all."

"Yeah," Harry protested, "but what if it _was_ one of Voldemort's followers? Do you realize how much trouble a group like that could cause us? We need to put out search parties for them."

"Harry," Bill began, "we don't know that there even is a group of werewolves. This could very well be a loner. I move that we put forth our efforts in tracking down the one wolf that attacked woman."

"How do you know it was one?" Percy asked curiously. Fred grinned at his brother, despite himself. He was glad to have Percy back on their side, even though he was an annoying, pompous git sometimes.

"There would 'ave been nothing left of 'er," Hagrid pointed out. "Werewolves, when they both 'ave the same prey, they fight tooth and nail over it."

"Hagrid's right," Mr. Weasley concluded. "I think we can be safe in assuming that this creature was acting alone. What we need to do now is look for any witnesses of the attack and any known werewolves that live in the area. And keep your guard up, especially at night. Even though they aren't as dangerous, we know from experience that the worst of them can still attack without being transformed. Be careful, all of you."

Fred nodded his head. He honestly couldn't believe this. Voldemort had only been dead for two weeks, and now they had to deal with a rogue werewolf. His whole body was shaking slightly. What scared him the most was that the attack had been so close to Sophie, and in a muggle neighborhood. Had the wolf targeted that area on purpose, or was it just coincidence?

With that last statement, the atmosphere in the room relaxed. Mrs. Weasley placed the food out on the table and told everyone to dig in. Fred grabbed a plateful, afraid of his mother's wrath if he didn't. But he couldn't eat it. He had lost his appetite. All he could think of was Sophie's body, bloody and mangled, lying in her back yard. It was so horrible, he couldn't bear it.

"You going to eat that?" George asked from the seat next to him. Fred shook his head and George happily took the plate.

"I know how you feel," he said after swallowing a mouthful of casserole. "I keep seeing Angelina in my mind like that."

Fred sighed. George always knew what he was thinking. It came with being identical twins. "I'm not going to let that happen to her," he vowed, his fists clenching together tightly. "I'm going to protect her."

George grinned at his brother and Fred couldn't help but smile back.

"Looks like we're going to have to brush up on our spell casting."

* * *

><p>As promised, Fred telephoned Sophie later that day.<p>

"Hey Fred," Sophie's voice said as she picked up the phone.

Fred was shocked. "How did you know it was me?"

He smiled as he heard her laugh on the other side. "You told me you would call today. It was just a lucky guess."

"So what are you up to?" the boy asked curiously. He really didn't know much about Sophie, other than she loved snapdragons and was an only child. And he needed to know a bit more about her if he was going to be able to plan a fun date with her tomorrow.

"I'm drawing in my sketchbook," she responded.

He smiled. "Sketchbook? I didn't know you could draw. What are you drawing? Are you any good?"

She giggled. "I'm ok. And I'm drawing this wolf I saw in my dreams last night."

Fred's blood turned cold. It couldn't be a coincidence there had been a werewolf attack on the same night that Sophie dreamed of a wolf, could it? "What was the dream about?"

A pause. "I don't really remember," she said finally. "I know I was in the woods, and I remember seeing this wolf. But that's it. There was definitely more to it, but I don't know the rest." Another pause. "But that's ok. I dream about wolves all the time. They're my favorite animals."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. So this wasn't an unnatural occurrence. If she dreamed of wolves all the time, then this dream had nothing to do with the attack.

"I always thought wolves were kind of mean looking," Fred began. He needed to know what she knew about the attack. But he didn't want to alarm her if she hadn't heard about it.

"Not all of them," she argued. "Most are really nice. But I'm glad I didn't run into the one that attacked that poor woman last night."

So she did know. She probably read the same article that the aurors had discovered that morning. "Yeah, such a sad story." Did she know what kind of creature caused the attack? Or how much danger she could have been in if she had been outside?

"Ugh," Fred could just picture the younger girl shivering. "Just the thought of what happened makes me never want to go outside at night again."

The older boy frowned. Part of him was sad that she was so scared of what had happened, but the other part was relieved that she wouldn't be putting herself in any danger. "I'm sure you'd be perfectly safe if you had a big, strong, extremely handsome man with you to protect you," he said, attempting to lighten the mood.

Sophie laughed. "Oh, very true. But it's so hard to find a man like that these days. I guess I'd better start looking."

"He'd have to be pretty brave," Fred began.

"And smart," Sophie pointed out. "Which rules out you."

Fred gasped with fake indignation. "I'll have you know, young lady, that I passed a total of three of my classes."

Sophie laughed. "Out of how many?"

Fred paused. That was a pretty good question. How many OWL's had he taken? There were all the basics: Herbology, potions, transfiguration, charms, defense, astronomy, and history of magic. And then he and George had also taken care of magical creatures and divination. "Nine."

She laughed again. "Fred, that's horrible. You only passed a third of your classes?"

He grinned. "I only needed a third of them," he explained. "So I used my time to do other things than study for classes I would never use in real life."

"What else did you do at school then?"

"Q-soccer practice," he amended quickly. He had almost done it again. "Pulling pranks on kids we didn't like, working on our joke shop products. There are plenty of things we could do besides studying."

"Hey," Sophie began, "I was thinking…about tomorrow. Well, there's a fair coming to an area nearby. It's probably only a ten minute walk from my house. Do you want to go there?"

Fred smiled, relieved that he didn't have to come up with something on the spot. "That sounds fantastic! Great idea."

"Awesome," she said excitedly. "Meet me here tomorrow at 11? We could walk there and then have lunch."

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry it's been so long. I was having issues with the website for a few days and then had a lot to do around the house. But I have the next chapter written as well, so hopefully it will be up in a few days. Enjoy! And please keep reviewing. Thanks to all who have done so already.


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